Anvil structure for stapling machines



D c- 9, 1955 J. F. FILSINGER ANVIL STRUCTURE FOR STAPLING MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 1952 P e R 00 m mm Y m W F. W H n a Y BNA! Dec. 20, 1955 J. F. FILSINGER ANVIL STRUCTURE FOR STAPLING MACHINES2 Sheets-Sheet .8

Filed Aug. 13, 1952 INVENTOR. Jo/UZ fifF/Zs/nger BY :9. W y'wm A7'7'OR/VEY ANVIL STRUCTURE FOR STAPLING MACHINES John F. Filsinger,Syracuse, N. Y., assiguor to Textile Marking Machine Co., Inc.,Syracuse, N. Y., a corpostructure for use in such machines. the anvil ofthe machine consists of a metal member on which the material to bestapled is usually positioned, the stapling head being movable intoengagement with material and being operable to eject a staple and insertthe prongs of the staple through the material, the anvil being formedwith spaced apart concavities which are engaged by the ends of theprongs of the staple as it emerges from the rear side of the material,whereby these prongs are curved, usually inwardly toward each other, butsometimes outwardly. With this arrangement, the prongs are curvedinwardly, or outwardly, and upwardly toward the back side of thematerial whereby the clinched prongs do not lie parallel and in closeengagement with the rear side of the material.

This method of clinching the staple is suitable for some work, such asattaching sheets of paper together in office work. However in otherinstances it is disadvantageous, such for example, in attaching markingtags to garments and the like in laundry and dry cleaning plants.

This invention has as an object an anvil structure for stapling machinesembodying a structural arrangement by which the prongs of the staple areentirely passed through the material being stapled and subsequently, theprongs of the staple are brought into engagement with a clinching barwhich functions to bend the prongs contiguous to the material, wherebythe prongs are not curved but lie flat, or parallel, to the material andin close engagement therewith.

accompanying drawings in which like characters designate correspondingparts in all the views.

nited States Patent ration of New York Application August 13, 1952,Serial No. 304,108

4 Claims. (Cl. 1--3) This invention has to do with stapling machines ofthe type commonly employed for inserting a two-prong wire staple throughsheet material, such as paper or fabric, and clinching the prongs bybending the same over the back side of the material being stapled.

More particularly this invention has to do with an anvil At the presenttime,

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the In the drawings-Figure l is a side elevational view of a stapling machine having ananvil structure embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1,illustrating the staple being initially inserted through the material.

Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, illustrating the position ofthe parts of the anvil when the prongs of the staple are clinched.

Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view taken on line 6-6, Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a view, similar to Figure 5, showing the staple in clinchedform.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of a staple clinched by conventional anvilstructure.

Figure 9 is an enlarged view of a staple clinched with the anvilembodying my invention.

In Figure l, the stapling head 20 is pivotally mounted at one end to aframe member 21. The anvil consists of a support member 22 having alaterally extending base portion 23 attached to the forward end of theframe 21, as by screws 24. The support 22 is formed .at its upper endwith a rectangular recess or slot in which there is slidably mounted arectangular block 26, the upper or outer end portion of which is formedwith a transversely extending slot 27 whereby the outer end portion isbifurcated.

The upper or outer end portion of the support 22 on opposite sides ofthe block 26 are also formed with a slot 28, the slots 28 being arrangedin registration with the slot 27. A clinch bar in the form of a plate 30is positioned in the slots 27, 28, and is fixedly secured to thesupport, as by screws 31.

The block 26 is yieldingly urged outwardly with the bottom wall 33 ofthe slot 27 engaging the lower edge of the clinch bar 30, as shown inFigures 2, 5 and 6, and in this position the outer end or ends of thebifurcated portion of the block are positioned outwardly in spacedrelation from the upper edge of the clinch bar.

The block 26 is engagedat its inner end by a plunger 36 slidably mountedin a bushing 37 mounted in a circular bore formed in the support 22.Theplunger 36 is urged outwardly by a helical compression spring 38interposed between the plunger ,36 and the bottom wall of a recess 39formed in the support member, see Figures 5, 6 and 7.

The outer end of the bushing 37 is .counterbored to provide a shoulder40, The plunger 36 is formed with a transversely extending aperture ineach .end of which there is positioned a ball 41 and there ispositioned, intermediate the balls, a helical compression'spring 43.

With the block 26 in normal outward position, as shown in Figures 2, 5and 6, the balls 41 engage the shoulder 40. This arrangement serves as adetent to maintain the plunger 36 and the block 26 in outward or upwardposition.

With the material to be stapled, such as the sheets 44, positioned onthe outer bifurcated ends of the block 26, the stapling head 20 is movedinto engagement with the sheets and further downward movement of theactuator 46 causes a staple to be ejected and the prongs insertedthrough the sheets. The slot 27 of the block 26 is arranged inregistration with the ejected staples so that the prongs, indicated at48, extend into the slot 27. Further downward movement of the staplinghead 20 effects downward or inward movement of the block 26, causing theends of the prongs 48 of the staple to engage the upper end of theclinch bar 30. The central portion of the clinch bar is recessed orrelieved, as at 50, this relief terminating or merging with the top edgeof the bar on a slight radius, indicated at '51, and which functions todirect the ends of the prongs toward the center of the block 26, thisbending of the prongs continuing upon downward movement of the staplinghead and, of course, upon downward movement of the block 26 against theaction of the spring 38, this movement continuing until the lower end ofthe plunger 36 seats against the bottom of the recess in which thebushing 37 is mounted, see Figure 7. At this time, the outer bifurcatedends of the block 26 are flush with the upper edge of the clinch bar 30,see Figure 7, and when the parts have reached this position, the prongs48 of the staple have been folded parallel and in close contact with theunder side of the material 44.

One function of the detent ball 41 is to increase the initial resistanceagainst inward movement of the plunger 36, the object being to maintainthe block 26 in outward position with sufficient force to assurecomplete penetration of the staple through the material being stapledand to provide a snap action to the block 26that is, when sufiicientpressure has been applied'to crowd the detent balls 41 inwardly from theshoulder 40. The pressure necessarily applied to the outer end of theblock to accomplish that result is substantially more than necessary toefiect compression of the spring 38 whereupon the block 36 descendsquickly to efiect a proper and eflicient clinching of the staple prongs.

What I claim is:

1. A flat clinch anvil structure for stapling machines comprising asupport formed with a bore extending inwardly from one end, a materialsupporting member slidably mounted in said bore and being formed at itsouter end portion with a slot extending transversely thereof, a clinchbar positioned in said slot and having its ends fixedly secured to saidsupport, means mounted in said bore and yieldingly maintaining saidmember with the slotted end thereof positioned outwardly from the barfor engagement by a stapling head and for the reception of the prongs ofthe staple in the slot above said bar, said material supporting memberbeing movable inwardly by the stapling head to permit the prongs of thestaple to engage the bar for clinching.

2. A flat clinch anvil structure for stapling machines comprising afixed support formed with a bore extending inwardly from one endthereof, a material supporting member slidably mounted in said bore, theouter end portion of said member being formed with a transverselyextending slot, at clinch bar positioned in said slot and having itsends fixedly mounted in said support, spring means mounted in said boreand yieldingly maintaining said member with the slotted end thereofpositioned outwardly from the bar for engagement by a stapling head andfor the reception of the prongs of the staple in the slot above the bar,said member being movable inwardly by the stapling head to permit theprongs of the staple to engage the bar for clinching.

3. A flat clinch anvil structure for stapling machines comprising arigid support formed with a bore extending inwardly from one endthereof, a material supporting member slidably mounted in said bore, theouter end portion of said member being formed with a transverselyextending slot, a clinch bar positioned in said slot and having its endportions fixedly secured to said support, a plunger slidably mounted insaid bore below said member, spring means acting on said plunger to urgethe plunger against said member and position said member with theslotted end thereof outwardly from the bar for engagement by a staplinghead and for the reception of the prongs of the staple in the slot abovesaid bar, and said member being movable inwardly against said springmeans by the stapling head to permit the prongs of the staple to engagethe bar for clinching.

4. A flat clinch anvil structure for stapling machines comprising arigid support formed with a bore extending inwardly from one endthereof, a material supporting member slidably mounted in said here, theouter end portion of said member being formed with a transverselyextending slot, at clinch bar positioned in said slot and having its endportions fixedly secured to said support, a plunger slidably mounted insaid bore below said member, spring means acting on said plunger to urgethe plunger against said member and position said member with theslotted end thereof outwardly from the bar for engagement by a staplinghead and for the reception of of the prongs of the staple in the slotabove said bar, and said member being movable inwardly against saidspring means by the stapling head to permit the prongs of the staple toengage the bar for clinching, and spring actuated detent means carriedby said plunger and operable to resist initial inward movement of saidmaterial supporting member and plunger by the stapling head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS195,603 Heyl Sept. 25, 1877 221,979 Shellenberger Nov. 25, 1879 515,028Templer Feb. 20, 1894 1,118,312 Smith Nov. 24, 1914 2,143,427 AbbateIan. 10, 1939

